A campaign group has begun handing out £200 support cheques as part of an effort to persuade small businesses to connect to broadband.

Connecting West Sussex is urging businesses to take advantage of the high-speed internet service which lets people surf the web and use the phone at the same time.

It is offering hundreds of grants, worth between £30-£200, free consultancy advice and a special web site to help businesses make the leap from dial-up internet services to broadband.

The campaign is run by the West Sussex Economic Partnership (WSEP), an alliance between West Sussex County Council, BT and the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA).

Firms have to apply for the grants through WSEP, explaining the nature of their business and how it would benefit by having access to broadband.

Uptake has been strong so far and SEEDA chairman Jim Brathwaite presented the first connection grant cheques at a special conference at Centenary House in Durrington Lane, Worthing.

He said: "Broadband offers a real opportunity for sustainability and business to go hand in hand."

One of the companies to be awarded a £200 cheque was Steyning-based home decorating company Fabricsandpapers.

Sample schemes, an advice service and a direct supply of thousands of wallpapers and fabrics from manufacturers are available on its web site.

Emma Vans Agnew, managing director, said: "Going on to broadband will really drive the site forward. We have some fantastic ideas to develop fabricandpapers.com and this gives us the opportunity to do so."

Patricia Vaz, regional director for BT, said: "I'm so pleased that Connecting West Sussex has got off to such a flying start and that it is already making a big difference to small firms in the county.

"The benefits of using broadband have been extremely well represented by the firms we have seen here today and there are clear, compelling reasons why businesses should move to broadband.

"What matters is how our small firms can turn this technology to their advantage and make a difference to the economy of West Sussex and the South-East."

Project manager Andrew Perry, said: "We've had interest, not only in the grants, but in the one-to-one professional advice. We are oversubscribed for £200 grants but there are still £30 awards available and the advice service continues."